Ah well, at least Adrian could tie up this loose end. As far as Adrian was concerned, his birth parents were long since dead to him.
"They're dead," Adrian's eyes darkened as once again his temper flared, tainting his tongue with an acrid flavour, "Do you know what that's like?"
Remus Lupin face pinched into a look so painfully haunted, it reminded Adrian of thestral cries. The mournful sounds they gave when the milky eyes stared deep into your soul.
"I do," Remus admitted, his voice breathy like a sigh. The man paused, lifting his hands and rubbing his eyes.
"I- not many people know, but Skylar was born a twin."
Adrian froze, in horror.
What.
The.
Hell?
What was Lupin doing?
"Exactly," Lupin misinterpreted his horror as surprise, "His name was Harry, he was a wonderful boy, an amazing child," His voice cracked and he cut off with a sigh, "We were alarmed when he didn't attend Hogwarts... it was too dangerous to check in on him before then, too many Death Eaters were looking for revenge."
"The rumor, on the train when Skylar passed out." Adrian almost didn't hear his own voice.
"It was truth, Skylar did have a brother."
"What happened?" Adrian's mouth moved numbly, his words sounding fractured even to him.
"Bellatrix Lestrange," The name sounded like a curse from Lupin's mouth, his eyes flashed wolfishly, "She destroyed everything. She... we couldn't even find a body."
They had looked.
They had looked for him.
Oh Merlin, no wonder everyone was so shaken with Bellatrix being released, Skylar Potter must be filled with horror over the situation.
"I'm sorry," Adrian stiffly murmured, "Were you two...?"
"I was his Godfather; a rather ruddy one at that."
"It wasn't your fault," Adrian echoed, words that had been spoken to him such a long time ago.
Lupin looked up sharply, golden eyes narrowed as his nostrils flared in surprise. Adrian's pulse fluttered in his throat, "I'm not him. I'm not your godson, I don't know what you're doing, why you're so interested in me. I don't know, I just…" Adrian trailed off uncomfortably- why was his throat feeling so tight?
"It wasn't your fault but don't replace him with me." He coughed out, as if it was a bladed weapon that tore his throat apart.
"Of course I wouldn't," Lupin smiled somberly, the expression looking pained, "But I wouldn't want to see Bellatrix Lestrange tear apart someone else. "
There was something unspoken on the end of the sentence.
"I'd like that," Adrian blinked, not even aware of the words until after he had said it.
What was he doing?
Lupin smiled, a large grin that split from one side of his face to the other, "Thank you, Adrian."
"My name is Hadrianus," Adrian blurted, chewing on his lip thoughtfully, "Technically, Harry is a shortened version."
Lupin shook his head ever so slightly, "No, I think I'd prefer to call you Adrian, if you don't mind." His eyes softened and nearly shimmered, "I think you two would have gotten along well."
'I killed him,' Adrian wanted to blurt, 'I killed Harry Potter,'
But he didn't.
He didn't know what he was doing either.
The Hogwarts Express chugged across the landscape.
"Think Nagini is bigger?" Lutain hummed curiously, peering out at the blur of the landscape, "I've shed many."
"I doubt it," Adrian sighed, staring at a page of a book and failing to read it properly. His mind was whirring too quickly with the thoughts of Bellatrix and Lupin. Even his father.
They were polar opposites, different ends of the spectrum. Bella was chaos in itself, Lupin was security and stability. His father was somewhere in between, something much more dangerous than a werewolf could ever be.
How was it that both his father and Lupin had taken such an interest in him? Lupin had only known Adrian for a year. His father not much longer.
"There are sheep!" Lutain enthused, looking at the various pastures, "So soft!"
Sometimes it was the smallest things which made his familiar so happy.
"Did you know," Adrian started, closing his book and peering out the window as well, "That when sick, sheep will actually medicate themselves by eating specific herbs?"
"Clever sheep," Lutain confirmed, peering out as they passed another flock.
They exited the platform, taking time to lug down each trunk onto special carts and trolleys for transporting luggage. Wouldn't do for a Pureblood to lug around an owl cage.
Hedwig's cage rattled loudly, smacking into Lutain's special box. The snake in question was curled around his neck, scenting the surprising mixture of animals and people.
"There you are," Daphne Greengrass smoothly slid over to him. She wheeled her own trunks with the Greengrass crest over alongside Adrian's own collections. Her hair had been done up, styled nicely at the nape of her neck so as to not snag on the bags she had slung over her shoulder, "Oh, what a coincidence. I would love to meet your parents, Adrian."
Adrian scowled, she politely smiled in response.
"We simply must stay in touch over the holidays," her smile was predatory, "I'm eager to see you attend my summer gathering, Adrian."
"I doubt I'll-" Adrian paused when he felt the strangest tingle against the edges of his senses, a pulse of something decadent.
"What is it?" Daphne asked, peering through the mob of people, trying to see what had caught his attention.
Adrian's face split into a smile against his will, eyes widening in amusement and humor at the situation, "Oh, he didn't."
Daphne eyed him oddly and confused.
Lord Voldemort himself was smoothly moving through the crowd, each step fluid and languid like a vampire. Nobody managed to touch him, most likely subtle repelling and notice-me-not charms on his cloak and high quality robes.
"Oh," Daphne blinked quickly, glancing between his father and Adrian with an almost disappointed expression, "Your resemblance is uncanny."
They'd have to change that somehow.
"Hello Adrian," his father calmly addressed, overlooking Daphne with disregard as if she were scenery. "I assume you have gathered all of your necessities."
"Of course, Father," Adrian responded shortly, it was easy to see where he inherited his tone of voice from.
His father placed one hand on his shoulder, twisting suddenly and violently to apparate away without ever acknowledging Daphne Greengrass.
Let her try to swallow that bit of information.
....
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